Arsenal

[Armstrong_11]

I don't discount them but I do think we have the stronger first XI, more balanced squad, better coach and we should be looking for at least 75-80 points this season. I think they'll do well to get in the 70s at all I'll be very surprised if they manage 75. We're not going to finish twelve points ahead of them, they might make top four but I don't see them finishing ahead of us. I can't see this squad losing 13 games again or anything like it - that alone should push us up into the upper 70s.

they still have a good squad, and should still comfortable make it in the top 6. For all the money spent, I don't see everton and west ham breaking into that group, but well... we have seen miracles with LC.

at the moment, installs will suit the club. its easier to invest in players via installments rather than a car or a TV, a players value seldom nose dive after a transfer. For sure they are gonna be competitive. but I am hoping for them to have another poor start to the season.

 

[DCSPUR]

They will really miss Ramsey - 100% their best player in recent years.
IF they buy Pepe, one of their strikers is going....Aba to China is my guess - wouldn't surprise me at all

 

[Cornpattbuck]

Arsenal had major injuries in defense last season and still do. Their "best" 2 defenders, Bellerin and Holding, have been out quite some time. When they return their defense will likely improve.

Their defense is still probably not great, but with those and a great attack they will challenge us just like they did last season.

Surprised by the arrogance towards Arsenal after we barely scraped by them last season.

Does Bellerin still play football? Thought he just did creepy fashion shit while possibly entertaining little children?

 

[Bulletspur]

Wow, pretty overly aggressive response to what I said to be honest Fuck me then I guess.

Yes I may have over reacted but many others have been dismissive of Arsenal and I suppose yours was the final straw. I am not saying they are better or equal to us at present, but they are very close, and I am sure they will give us a run for our money next season. So we cannot afford to be arrogant or complacent. (Saying they are miles behind us is being arrogant in my book)

 

[Cornpattbuck]

We are not miles better than them as you put it. We have only beaten them by a point. We conceding sloppy late goals against West Ham, Bournmouth, Southampton, Burnley and others were due to our own carelessness, ineptness and poor game management, and had nothing to do directly with injuries. Convince your self otherwise if it makes you feel better.

Not saying that we are probably not at a better place than Arsenal and probably Manu, but we are not that far ahead and I can see both teams making inroads in the top six, where most, including pundits, seem to think that Arsenal and Manu not doing well this coming season is a far gone conclusion.

I just detest the arrogance of some Spurs supporters, I prefer humility

"Detest the arrogance of some Spurs supporters" seems like a really, really strange statement given the general arrogance of the Sky 4 or whatever it was we weren't supposed to break into.

Now we have, why would you be pissed at Spurs fans enjoying our moment?

I don't disagree that "we" can't get complacent, but that's never been the fans prerogative.

I'd love to bang the goals in against Arsenal and earn that wedge, but sadly I let myself down as a kid and it's just dreams now.

For what it's worth, I think Arsenal will have a good season but I think we'll have a better one. Again.

 

[TheChosenOne]

The Emirates Cup attendance was 50,000 according to the official Arsenal account on twitter.

A nice round number.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

They will really miss Ramsey - 100% their best player in recent years.
IF they buy Pepe, one of their strikers is going....Aba to China is my guess - wouldn't surprise me at all

They can play Lacazette, Aubameyang, and Pepe in a front 3 so don't think that means one of them is leaving.

 

[sebo_sek]

Yes I may have over reacted but many others have been dismissive of Arsenal and I suppose yours was the final straw. I am not saying they are better or equal to us at present, but they are very close, and I am sure they will give us a run for our money next season. So we cannot afford to be arrogant or complacent. (Saying they are miles behind us is being arrogant in my book)

This is a football forum, not a cabinet meeting. If people want to be dismissive of Arsenal why on earth would that press your buttons? If that is the topic that makes you blow your top, then I envy you. I come into the Arsenal thread to laugh at them, not read page after page of detailed analysis. I don't care about all that.

So if I'm called childish or dillusional, so be it

SPURS RULE
GOONS SUCK
YEAH!

 

[CantSmileWithoutYou]

The Emirates Cup attendance was 50,000 according to the official Arsenal account on twitter.

A nice round number.

Looks about right for them...

 

[TheChosenOne]

Looks about right for them... View attachment 53473

I saw somewhere else that the women's match attendance allegedly 'peaked' at 28,500
.
I can only assume that people were coming into the ground during that match and the figure
shown was at the end ?
.
Stats eh ?

 

[Buggsy61]

I saw somewhere else that the women's match attendance allegedly 'peaked' at 28,500
.
I can only assume that people were coming into the ground during that match and the figure
shown was at the end ?
.
Stats eh ?

It might well have peaked right at the end as folk crammed in to see the post match hugging and shirt swapping.

 

['O Zio]

Yes I may have over reacted but many others have been dismissive of Arsenal and I suppose yours was the final straw. I am not saying they are better or equal to us at present, but they are very close, and I am sure they will give us a run for our money next season. So we cannot afford to be arrogant or complacent. (Saying they are miles behind us is being arrogant in my book)

I certainly don't mean it in an arrogant way nor am I entirely dismissing Arsenal. I just think the whole "only one point behind us" thing somewhat flatters Arsenal last season. Obviously at the end of the day points are all that matters, but if you look at performances I'd say with the exception of a nightmare spell of 4 or 5 weeks towards the end of the season, we were much more convincing than they were. Obviously there are other results that didn't go our way too but that's the same for any club. At one stage we were something like 10 points clear of them but just managed to shoot ourselves in the foot by dropping massive amounts of points with a bare-bones CM during that period. By and large, I still think we had a much better season than they did. Maybe you'd call that arrogance, but it's just the way I feel about it.

As for next season, for me, they have 1 or 2 standout players but the rest of their squad is really nothing special, and from what I can tell Emery has done very little to overhaul the dressing room "selfie" mentality that was allowed to develop under Wenger. They've got a couple of players in but I think Ceballos kid of just replaces Ramsey so doesn't necessarily make them any better, and none of them really address the key problems they have. Admittedly they have signed a CB but he's 18 so unlikely to make a massive impact next year anyway. If we can hang on to our big players i.e. Eriksen and Toby, which so far it looks like we might do, and we've already got Ndombele in to fill the void left by Dembele, and on top of that our players have mostly all had full summers to recover so won't be as fatigued as last year, so I'm confident that we can maintain a higher level of performance more consistently next season.

All in all, I think whether or not we finish above Arsenal is in our hands. For me, on paper we should be comfortably ahead of them but obviously it doesn't always pan out like that. Barring that onslaught of CM injuries last season I think we'd have still finished more than 1 point ahead of them and it would be horribly bad luck for us to have a similar problem next season. I'm normally quite pessimistic but I'm optimistic about or team next season. Call that arrogance if you want but I'm just looking forward to the season ahead.

 

[SpartanSpur]

I certainly don't mean it in an arrogant way nor am I entirely dismissing Arsenal. I just think the whole "only one point behind us" thing somewhat flatters Arsenal last season. Obviously at the end of the day points are all that matters, but if you look at performances I'd say with the exception of a nightmare spell of 4 or 5 weeks towards the end of the season, we were much more convincing than they were. Obviously there are other results that didn't go our way too but that's the same for any club. At one stage we were something like 10 points clear of them but just managed to shoot ourselves in the foot by dropping massive amounts of points with a bare-bones CM during that period. By and large, I still think we had a much better season than they did. Maybe you'd call that arrogance, but it's just the way I feel about it.

As for next season, for me, they have 1 or 2 standout players but the rest of their squad is really nothing special, and from what I can tell Emery has done very little to overhaul the dressing room "selfie" mentality that was allowed to develop under Wenger. They've got a couple of players in but I think Ceballos kid of just replaces Ramsey so doesn't necessarily make them any better, and none of them really address the key problems they have. Admittedly they have signed a CB but he's 18 so unlikely to make a massive impact next year anyway. If we can hang on to our big players i.e. Eriksen and Toby, which so far it looks like we might do, and we've already got Ndombele in to fill the void left by Dembele, and on top of that our players have mostly all had full summers to recover so won't be as fatigued as last year, so I'm confident that we can maintain a higher level of performance more consistently next season.

All in all, I think whether or not we finish above Arsenal is in our hands. For me, on paper we should be comfortably ahead of them but obviously it doesn't always pan out like that. Barring that onslaught of CM injuries last season I think we'd have still finished more than 1 point ahead of them and it would be horribly bad luck for us to have a similar problem next season. I'm normally quite pessimistic but I'm optimistic about or team next season. Call that arrogance if you want but I'm just looking forward to the season ahead.

Totally agree with this. I am concerned with how the window is going though, they are threatening to show us up. They're closing in on Pepe and Tierney (both of whom I'd gladly take here) and have now been linked with Rugani on loan. That would probably leave them with fewer problem areas than us (RB/LB).

Our 'skint' neighbours are going from laughing stock to having a very good window. IF we can get GLC and Sess in and resolve Eriksen's future this week I'll be a lot more comfortable, but the clock is ticking. I still want us to address full back however.

 

['O Zio]

Totally agree with this. I am concerned with how the window is going though, they are threatening to show us up. They're closing in on Pepe and Tierney (both of whom I'd gladly take here) and have now been linked with Rugani on loan. That would probably leave them with fewer problem areas than us (RB/LB).

Our 'skint' neighbours are going from laughing stock to having a very good window. IF we can get GLC and Sess in and resolve Eriksen's future this week I'll be a lot more comfortable, but the clock is ticking. I still want us to address full back however.

Yeah I mean the trouble with that is you're kind of assuming we miss out on all of our signings while they simultaneously get everyone they're linked with, which is unlikely to be how it all pans out.

Also, I suppose the counter argument would be that they're in bigger need of improvements than we are so need more signings. I agree the fullback situation isn't looking ideal for us. I hope we keep Rose and bring in Sessegnon as his understudy but RB is a glaring weakness for us at the moment unless Poch has some trick up his sleeve.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Yeah I mean the trouble with that is you're kind of assuming we miss out on all of our signings while they simultaneously get everyone they're linked with, which is unlikely to be how it all pans out.

Also, I suppose the counter argument would be that they're in bigger need of improvements than we are so need more signings. I agree the fullback situation isn't looking ideal for us. I hope we keep Rose and bring in Sessegnon as his understudy but RB is a glaring weakness for us at the moment unless Poch has some trick up his sleeve.

Foyth could be the answer, but I'd rather get a specialist in and maybe send KWP out on loan.

I'm pretty confident we'll get GLC and Sessegnon, but the Eriksen situation worries me big time. Can see us selling him and Rose after the window closes, undoing a lot of the good work this window.

Pepe sounds nailed on (Ornstein) and I'd probably put Tierney in the same boat as GLC and Sessegnon.

Hopefully the Rugani link is crap, but that's more links for their big problem area than we currently have at RB.

 

[RichieS]

Foyth could be the answer, but I'd rather get a specialist in and maybe send KWP out on loan.

I'm pretty confident we'll get GLC and Sessegnon, but the Eriksen situation worries me big time. Can see us selling him and Rose after the window closes, undoing a lot of the good work this window.

Pepe sounds nailed on (Ornstein) and I'd probably put Tierney in the same boat as GLC and Sessegnon.

Hopefully the Rugani link is crap, but that's more links for their big problem area than we currently have at RB.

Is that because our management doesn't consider RB a problem area?

 

[Shadydan]

Is that because our management doesn't consider RB a problem area?

It's only a problem area because our fans have created the narrative that it's a problem area, irony is that we sold Trippier who many thought wasn't good enough and since he's gone we're now in massive trouble at RB.

What's actually wrong with Foyth anyway, played at RB a few times last season and he was excellent, City game an example.

 

[rossdapep]

They can play Lacazette, Aubameyang, and Pepe in a front 3 so don't think that means one of them is leaving.

Not one of those players is renown for tracking back or putting in any kind of defensive shift.

Poch has managed to get Eriksen, Alli and Son all doing their but defensively, which makes us tougher. If Emery can get them three doing more defensively then they may be okay but I highly doubt it and they may be in a lot of high scoring affairs because whilst they are scoring they will be leaking goals all over the place.

 

[E17yid]

It's only a problem area because our fans have created the narrative that it's a problem area, irony is that we sold Trippier who many thought wasn't good enough and since he's gone we're now in massive trouble at RB.

What's actually wrong with Foyth anyway, played at RB a few times last season and he was excellent, City game an example.

I think it’s coz Foyth isn’t really a recognised RB and Auriers form last season was patchy and was blighted by injuries. On top of that most people thought Trippier was our worst performer yet still kept KWP and Aurier, when fit, out of the team

Considering all that I think it’s a fairly normal reaction to be a bit concerned about how it’s going to pan out at RB next season. You’re basically hoping that Foyth is a really good RB (even though he isn’t one) and Aurier and KWP to turn it around.

Personally speaking I wanted Aurier to have another year and I like KWP so I’m not shitting the bed but I can definitely see why some are worried.

 

[rossdapep]

It's only a problem area because our fans have created the narrative that it's a problem area, irony is that we sold Trippier who many thought wasn't good enough and since he's gone we're now in massive trouble at RB.

What's actually wrong with Foyth anyway, played at RB a few times last season and he was excellent, City game an example.

Yeah that seems to be the case. So many people are fixated on this idea that you have to have a top player in every position.

What happened to trusting an exceptional coach? A coach who can mould Foyth into a superb RB? This current trend in football of 'buy, buy, buy' to fix all problems is so short-sighted and not what I enjoy about the game. The game is so much more than just buying players to make great teams, you have to trust the coaching aspects too and the best coaches can always mould players into different roles as they see strengths in them that suit other positions.

In youth coaching players are moved around all the time to gain skills and experience in different roles. Seen as Foyth is still very young and has superb technical ability, it makes perfect sense to mould him into a RB.

I've said it before but if Foyth is given the RB role this season I believe that no-one will be crying for a RB at the end of the season.